Dispenser for c-washers and the like and washer package for use with dispenser

ABSTRACT

C-Washers are packaged in a tubular plastic envelope by sliding the washers over a carrier bar, inserting the coaxially stacked washers on the bar into a loosely fitting plastic tube, contracting the tube by shrinkage or otherwise until it conformingly engages the washers and secures them in aligned position, and withdrawing the carrier bar. The dispenser has a guide rail similar to the carrier and a cutting blade near one end of the guide rail and obliquely inclined relative to the direction of rail elongation which slits the tube when the stack of washers is slipped over the guide rail so that the tube may be peeled off.

United States Patent m1 Eenzing et al.

DISPENSER FOR C-WASHERS AND THE LIKE AND WASHER PACKAGE FOR USE WITHDISPENSER Inventors: Peter Benzing, Munchingen; Richard Klein, Berkheim;Alfred Trampisch, Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen, all of Germany Assignee: HugoBenzing oI-lG, Munchingen,

Germany Filed: Nov. 16, 1967 Appl. No.: 683,598

Foreign Application Priority Data 56] References Cited UNITED STATESPATENTS 209,585 1 1/1878 Raymond et a1. ..206/0.82 2,810,243 10/1957Mellowes ..53/26 2,985,295 5/1961 Erdmann ..206/65 B 3,055,163 9/ 1962Ramseier ..206/65 3,187,477 6/1965 Dreyfus ..53/30 3,341,110 9/1967Warfel ..229/87.2 3,357,554 12/1967 Walter ..206/65 PrimaryExaminer-William T. Dixson, Jr. Attorney-Richard Low [57] ABSTRACTC-Washers are packaged in a tubular plastic envelope by sliding thewashers over a carrier bar, inserting the coaxially stacked washers onthe bar into a loosely fitting plastic tube, contracting the tube byshrinkage or otherwise until it conformingly engages the washers and'secures them in aligned position, and withdrawing.

3 Claims, ll-Drawing Figures Patented April 24, 1973 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 /nven Z ars Q/chard DISPENSER FOR C-WASIERS AND THE LIKE ANI) WASHERPACKAGE FOR USE WITH DISPENSER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Thisapplication relates to the handling of C-washers and of similar small,substantially flat elements which extend in an are about an axialopening, and particularly to a dispenser for C-washers and the like, toa package of washers especially suitable for use with the dispenser, andto a method of making the package.

It is known to arrange lock washers in coaxial alignment on a carrierbar, and to handle and ship the stack of washers so produced togetherwith the carrier bar. The bar with its stack of washers may be insertedinto a dispenser which permits the washers to be withdrawn individuallyfrom the bar. The carrier bars are returned to the washer manufacturerfor reuse.

The carrier bars materially add to the weight of the merchandise to beshipped from the washer manufacturer to the consumer, therebysignificantly increasing the cost of the washers, additional cost beingincurred by the return of the empty carriers. The stacks of washers onthe bars are quite long, and thus inconvenient to handle and to storeeven if they accomodate only a relatively small number of washers, suchas a few thousand.

Among the objects of the instant invnetion is the provision of a packageof washers or similar, relatively small, flat elements in which theelements are held in the necessary alignment by a structure so light asnot materially to increase the weight of the washers while in transit,so inexpensive as to be disposable, and of such properties that thepackage may be shaped so as to occupy a minimum of space while beinghandled.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE The invention, in one of its aspects, residesin a package including a multiplicity of substantially flat elements,each element having an axis and extending in an arc about the axis, andan envelope which conformingly engages the elements and holds the sameloosely superimposed in coaxial alignment, the envelope being elongatedin the common direction of the element axes.

The invention also resides in a method of making such a package in whichthe elements, each defining an axial opening therethrough, are slid overan elongated carrier until the carrier is received in each of theopenings and the elements are coaxially mounted on the carrier. Thecarrier and the elements mounted thereon are thereafter inserted into aloosely fitting, substantially tubular envelope until the envelope isapproximately coaxial with the elements, whereupon the envelope iscontracted transversely of the common axis of the envelope and of theelements until the envelope conformingly engages each element. Thecarrier may then be withdrawn from the element openings.

The dispenser of the invention which is employed during use of the abovedescribed package preferably has an elongated, substantially straightguide member and is equipped with a cutting blade whose edge isobliquely inclined relative to the direction of elongation of the guidemember.

Other features, additional objects, and many of the attendant advantagesof this invention will readily be appreciated as the same becomes betterunderstood by reference to the following detailed description ofpreferred embodiments when considered in connection with theaccompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings:

FIG. 1 shows apparatus of the invention for dispensing washers from apackage of the same, the view being in side elevation;

FIG. 2 illustrates the apparatus of FIG. 1 in partial side-elevationalsection on a scale larger than that of FIG. 1;

FIGS. 3 and 4 show the device of FIG. 2 in plan section on the lines 3-3and 4-4 respectively;

FIG. 5 shows a portion of dispensing apparatus of the invention in sideelevation and on the scale of FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 shows a package of the invention together with the top portion ofthe dispenser of FIG. 1 in side elevation;

FIG. 7 illustrates a modified package of the invention in side-elevationand partly in section;

FIG. 8 illustrates the package of FIG. 7 in section on the line 8--8;

FIG. 9 shows a dispenser for use with the package of FIGS. 7 and 8 in aview corresponding to that of FIG. 2, and in section on the line 99 inFIG. 10;

FIG. 10 shows the apparatus of FIG. 9 in section on the line 10-14; and

FIG. 11 illustrates a modification of the apparatus of FIG. 10.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring now to the drawingsin detail, and initially to FIGS. 1 to 4, there is seen a loose stack 10of stirrupshaped C-washers 11 coaxially superimposed in such a mannerthat their open sides face in the same direction. The uppe portion ofthe stack 10 is shrink-wrapped in an envelope 12 of pliable polyvinylchloride tubing. The tubing conformingly engages each washer about itscircumference, is partly received in the radial slot of each washer, andalso penetrates to a small extend between successive washers in thestack so as to keep them loosely superimposed in coaxial alignment,thereby permitting the flexible package formed by the washers and theirenvelope to be coiled, for instance into a spiral 13 as shown in FIG. 6.I

The dispenser 14 on which individual washers 11 are taken from thepackage has a base 15 which may be fixedly mounted on a work table, ifso desired. An upright column 16 on the base 15 carries a vertical guiderail 19 of T-shaped section,.the flange 17 of the rail being connectedto the column 16 by a web 18.

The web 18 is partly cut away near the top end of the rail 19, and theflange I7 is cut away near the bottom end of the rail to leave a gapsufficient for passage of a washer 1 1 between the end of the flange 17and the top surface 25 of the base 15.

The top end 17a of the flange l7 and the column 16 define an openinginto which a cutting blade 20 projects. The straight edge 21 of theblade 20 is obiliquely downwardly inclined relative to the guide rail19, and extends in a common plane with the rail. The blade 20 isfastened in a slot 22a of the column 16 by a screw 22.

23 having a passage 24 therethrough which is vertically aligned with theflange 17 of the guide rail 19. The straight end of the package formedby the washer stack and the envelope 12 extends from the spiral 13through the passage 24 and over the guide rail 19, the flange 17 of thelatter being received in the axial openings of the stacked washers 11,and the web 18 extending outwardly through the aligned radial slots ofthe washers 11 and an axial slot 27 (FIG. 4) which is cut into thelastic envelope 12 when the package is pushed downward through thepassage 24 and over the cutting edge 21 of the blade 20. The slottedenvelope 12 thus may be peeled from the stack 10 by moving its lower endas indicated by the arrow x, and cutting it transversely near thebracket 23 as shown at 26.

In the modified dispernser illustrated in FIG. 5, the straightedgedblade is replaced by a circular blade 28 rotatably mounted on the column16 by a pin 29 in such a position that the descending envelope 12 isslotted as it meets an obliquely inclined portion of the circularcutting edge of the blade 28. The bracket 23 carries a depending blade30 having a horizontal cutting edge 31 which permits an envelope portion12' to be cut off by bending it upward as indicated by the arrow y afterit has been peeled from the stacked washers 11, the washers and theenvelope being shown in phantom view in FIG. 5.

In preparing a package of washers 11, the washers are punched from sheetmetal and finished as is usual. They are then fed from a hopper througha vibrating feeder in a conventional manner to a straight, rigid carrierbar having the same T-shaped cross section as the guide rail 19 in sucha manner that the washers slide over the web of the carrier until thelatter is received in the openings of all washers which it is intendedto include in the pacakage. The initial length of the package and thenumber of washers that it is desired to include in the package may beselected at will for reasons which will presently become apparent.

The carrier bar with the stack of washers mounted thereon i thereafterinserted in a loosely fitting tube of shrinkable plastic, such as a tubeof shrinkable polyvinyl chloride film. If so desired, the tube may beformed on the stack from flat, shrinkable, plastic foil which is wrappedabout the stack until its edges overlap, and by thereafter heat sealingthe edges to each oter. The heat of the sealing operation may cause thefoil to contract and ocnformingly to engage such washers as describedabove.

If an extruded or otherwise pre-shaped tube is employed, the carrier barwith the stacked washers is nserted axially into the tube, and thewrapped washers with the carrier are briefly exposed to an ambienttemperture of about 150C. to shrink the tube about the washers. Theresulting circumferential and partly axial tension in the plasticmaterial of the tube meaintains the desired alignment of the washers,thus permitting the carrier bar to be withdrawn in an axial direction.The axial ends of the stack may be secured by heat sealing oppositewalls of a projecting end portion of the plastic envelope to each otheror in any other desired manner.

The package so formed is flexible enough to be bent into a spiral orwound on a core to form a spool which occupies but a fraction of thestorage space required for holding an handling the straight length ofthe package. The coiled package may be shipped in flat cans or othercontainers, and is gradually unwound and straightened during use.Because of the great number of individual washers accomodated in eachpackage, a new coil need be supplied only at great intervals.

The manner in which the dispensed washers are withdrawn from the freeend of the stack 10 along the base surface 25 has not been illustratedin detail. Individual washers may be pulled from the stack by hand or bya simple tool, but a mechanized pusher or gripper arrangement,conventional in this art, may be resorted to.

If so desired, the washer packages may be made straight where relativelyfew washers are to be combined in a package, and short stacks of washersmay be shrink-wrapped in plastic foil by the method outlined above.Another package of the invention, which is particularly convenient withrelatively short stacks of washers, is shown in FIGS. 7 and 8.

Stirrup-shaped washers 40 are aligned in a straight stack 41 and areenveloped over more than three quarters of their circumference by arelatively rigid and shape retaining plastic envelope 42 which mayconsist of polyvinyl chloride containing only a moderate amount ofplasticizer. The envelope 42 is alos approximately C-shaped in crosssection and has an axial slot 45 radially aligned with the radial slots44 o the several C-washers 40. Edge portions 43 of the envelope 42extend radially outward from the reminder of the envelope 42 and divergein a radially outward direction.

As illustrated in FIG. 8, the envelope 42 is under radial stress andengages the washer 40 under its resilient force. In the relaxedcondition, the envelope 42 has an internal cross section which ismaterially smaller than the cross section of each washer 40.

The package is assembled by slipping the washers 40 over a carrier bar46, shown in phantom view in FIG. 8, and forcing the stack of washerswhile supported on the carrier bar through the inwardly tapering gapbetween the edge portions 43 until the envelope 42 snaps over the stackof washers 40, the flange 46a being within the envelope, and the web 46bprojecting outwardly through the aligned slots 44, 45. The carrier bar46 may then be withdrawn in an axial direction from the loosely fittingwashers 40, and the ends 47 of the envelope 42 may then be sealed overboth ends of the stack 41 as described above.

FIGS. 9 and 10 partly illustrate a dispenser for washer packages of thetype illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8, the portion of the dispenser omittedfrom the showing of FIG. 9 being substantially identical with thecorresponding parts of the dispenser of FIG. 1.

A flange 48 of a guide rail is attached to the upright column 50 of thedispenser by the web 49 of the rail which freely projects through thealigned slots 44, 45 when the package is slipped over the guide railfrom the top down. The resilient envelope 42 is then removed by bendingit away from the firmly held stack 41 of washers 40 at the top of thestack in the direction of the arrow y as indicated at 42.

FIG. 11 shows a modified dispenser for somewhat different C-washers in afragmentary, sectional plan view. Each washer is provided with radiallugs 110a on either side of its radial slot. The stacked washers areheld in aligned position prior to and during installation on thedispenser by an envelope 112 which is a slotted tube provided with a finor rib 113 diametrically opposte the slot. The guide rail of thedispenser has a head or flange 118 of cylindrical shape slidablymatching the internal contour of the washers 1M), and attached to acolumn, not fully shown in FIG. 11, by a thin web 119 which extendsoutward of the mounted package between the'two rows of lugs 1 a.

The fin or rib l 13 facilitates handling of the envelope 1 12 duringinsertion of the washers 110 while the washers are held in alignment ona carrier bar, not itself seen in FIG. 11, and makes it particularlysimple to strip the envelope 112 from the stack of washers after thewashers are supported on the flange 118. During use, but they are soinexpensive to be disposable without significantly affecting the cost ofthe washers. They greatly simplify the transportation and use of thewashers. The cost of the slotted tube envelopes 42,112 shown in FIGS. 7to 11 is slightly higher so as to justify their return from the user tothe manufacturer of the washers in some instances. Their weight,however, is so small as to reduce transportation cost to a minimum.

It is entirely practical to combine many thousands of washers in asingle package of the invention, as shown in FIG. 6, without causing anydifficulties in the handling and shipping of the package, which are notinherent in the weight of the washers themselves.

It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing disclosurerelates only to a preferred embodiment of the invention, and that it isintended to cover all changes and modifications of the examples of theinvention herein chosen for the purpose of the disclosure which do notconstitute departures from the spirit and scope of the invention.

We claim:

1. A package comprising a plurality of substantially flat elements, eachelement having an axis and extending in, an are about said axis, saidelements being aligned generally along their axes, a resilient enveloperadially contracted over said plurality of elements to conforminglyengage ech of said elements under circumferential tension to secure eachelement in alignment about said axis, said envelope having an axial slotand a projection substantially diametrically opposite thereto, saidplurality of elements being held in loose axial superimposition to causesaid elements to flex along their axes, whereby said elements, togetherwith said envelope, is permitted to assume the shape of a coil whilemaintaining alignment of each of said elements.

2. A package as set forth in claim 1, wherein said envelope is tubularand consists of shrinkable synthetic resin composition havingfa crosssection in-the relaxed condition smaller than the correspondingdimension of said elements.

3. A package as set forth in claim 1, wherein each element is formedwith a radial slot so as to be substantially C-shaped, the radial slotsof said elements are aligned axially with the slot of said envelope,said envelope having portions extending into and received in the radialslots of the engaged elements.

1. A package comprising a plurality of substantially flat elements, eachelement having an axis and extending in an arc about said axis, saidelements being aligned generally along their axes, a resilient enveloperadially contracted over said plurality of elements to conforminglyengage ech of said elements under circumferential tension to secure eachelement in alignment about said axis, said envelope having an axial slotand a projection substantially diametrically opposite thereto, saidplurality of elements being held in loose axial superimposition to causesaid elements to flex along their axes, whereby said elements, togetherwith said envelope, is permitted to assume the shape of a coil whilemaintaining alignment of each of said elements.
 2. A package as setforth in claim 1, wherein said envelope is tubular and consists ofshrinkable synthetic resin composition having a cross section in therelaxed condition smaller than the corresponding dimension of saidelements.
 3. A package as set forth in claim 1, wherein each element isformed with a radial slot so as to be substantially C-shaped, the radialslots of said elements are aligned axially with the slot of saidenvelope, said envelope having portions extending into and received inthe radial slots of the engaged elements.